Sheet glass apparatus



C. CONE March 8, 1932.

SHEET GLAS S APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet llHr gwuwntox Carroll Cone March 8, 1932. c. CONE 1,848,162

SHEET GLAS S APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Carroll Gone Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES CARROLL CONE, or roLnno, onro, Assrenon ro LIBBEY-owEns-Fonne Ass COMPANY, y I

OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A-COEPORA'IIONOF OHIO srmn'r eL'Ass fArrAn rus 1 Application filed July 6, 1931.: Stu rt. Sign;

The present invention relates broadly to sheet glass apparatus and more'partieularl'y to conveying means for supporting and carrying semi-plastic sheets of glass forward- -5 ly into and/or through anan'nealing zone'or leer. The conveying means herein provided is primarily adapted for use in conjunction with a sheet glass rolling inachineof the intermittent type such as for example; that known as the Bicheroux machine; In the production of successive sheet-s5 of glass-by an intermittent rolling operation, it is desirable that the formation of the sheetsbeperformed at a relatively great speedas c'ompared to the speed at which they travel in an nealing. "This rapid formation of the glass sheets is desirable from both the standpoint of production and quality, While. the forward travel thereof during annealing is necessarily slow in order to avoid making the annealing sequent to their formation and preferably prior to or at the beginningof the aimealing operation to the end that, although the sheets are formed at ahigh rate of speedya relatively annealing leer may nevertheless be employed.

Hereto fore, various schemes have been proposed for etl'ecting thevdes'ired reductionin the speed of forward travel of the glass sheet but practically all of such schemes, various types of mechanisms were associated with the rolls of the roller conveyors for efi'ectingthe desired change in the peripheral speed thereof. v 'f p 1 l According to the present invention, however, the forward speed; of travel of the sheet is reduced in an easy and convenientmanner andwvithout the use of any complicated speed changing mechanisms. Thus; thehigh speed rolls of the roller conveyor are always driven atac'onstant-high speed \vhile'the low speed rolls -are' a'lWaysdriven at a constant s'lovv speedso that, in orderfto effect the desired 7 change in thexforward speedof travel' of the sheet; nochange 'in'lthe speed of rotation of the individual rolls is required. 7

' "Other objectsandadvantages of the 'inv'en draivings.

tionwillfbecorne more apparent dnring'the course"ofthefollowing' description when takenin connection ithlthe accompanying plication" and; whereinflike numerals are' efnr ployed to designate like" parts throughout the e V; 1 l a Fig. 1" is a verticallongitudinaljseetion t ou h o e we of p rat s pro de the present inventiomj J 2 is 'apl'an' View thereof, and f Figs. 3, 4 and are plan views showing different arrangements.

Referring first to Figs. 1 andQ of ingsfthe means herein employed in "the" for mation of the glass-sheets comprises a rolling machine including the spaced forming rolls '10 and llbetiveen which a mass or chargeof molten glass'lQ is adapted to be passed and reduced to a' sheet 13 of substantially predetermined and uniforin thicknessj The mass of glass 123s initiallyfdeposited upon: ajt'iltable receiver '14; from a portable pot or other receptacle 15 anclfroni which itthen flows be tween the forming rolls 10mm '11; These forming'rollsare spaced from oneanother to create a sheet forming passtherebetween and are mounted upon shafts 'rotatably supported at their opposite ends by the 'bracket memhers 1'6 and '17; \As pointed 'out'abovefi'tiis desirable-that t-hecharge of molten glass 12 be rapidlyreduced to sheet form, and the formingrolls 10' and ll fare consequently driven at a relatively highperipheralspeed 7 during the supplying of the'moltemglass thereto. One of =tl'1e"forming-rolls. may be positively driven as byf suitable driving means l gand theother roll. driven fronr'the first roll a through f'intermesh' mounted up'enthe roll sh afts [The glass sheet or plate 13 1's ESjupp rtedas it leaves the-forming rolls 10fand ll' upon-a'n inclinedapron 'ors'1ab 20;- Positioned adjae cent the slab 20 and adapted to receive the glass sheet therefrom is a horizontal runway consisting of a roller conveyor designated in its entirety by the numeral 21 and being composed of a relatively large number of horizontally aligned rolls 22 and 23 rotatablyniounted at their opposite ends in the fra ne"mem here 24 and 25. The rolls 2-2 are adapted to be driven at a constant relativelyhigh rate of speed substantially equal tothe speed of formation of the glass sheet 13 which may be in the neighborhood of sixty feet per minute, while the rolls 23 are driven at a constant relatively slower speed substantially equal to that at which the sheets are adapted to travel in annealing and whichmay be, for example, approximately ten feet per minute. For the purpose of driving the rolls 22 and 23, there may be provided at one side of the conveyor 21 a longitudinallyextending line shaft 26 driven from a motor 27 through suitabl'ereduction gearing 28. This line shaft is adapted to have keyed thereto a plurality of worms (not shown) meshing with and driving worm gears 29 mounted upon the adjacent ends of rolls 22. The rolls 23 may be driven in the same manner from a line shaft 30 located atthe opposite side of theconveyor and driven from a motor 31 through the re duction gearing 32, said line shaft also having mounted thereupon a plurality of worms (not shown) meshing with and driving worm gears 33 at the adjacent ends of. the said roll 23. a

The rolls 22 and 23 of conveyor 21 may be divided by way of illustration into three groups or sections A, B and C respectively, the group A constituting a high speed section, group Ba transfer or speed changing section, and group Ca slow speed section. The high speed section A is composed entirelyof high speed rolls 22, and the slow speed sectionC entirely of low speed rolls 23. On the other hand, the transfer section B is composed of a plurality'of both high speed rolls 22 and low speed rolls 23, these rollsbeing grouped or interspersed with one another in such almanner as to effect a gradual slowing down of the forward speed of travel of the sheet as it is carried thereover. Thus, at the forward end of transfer sect-ion B a relatively larger number of high speed rolls 22 than low speeds rolls 23 are used,'with the number of low speed rolls interspersed with the high speed rolls gradually increasing toward the opposite end of the said transfer section so that the forward speed of movement of the sheet is reduced by a gradual change in the grouping of the high and low speed rolls. For instance, at the extreme forward end of the speed changing section B only a single low speed roll 22 is provided, and this low speed roll-is followed by three high speed rolls 23a. However, it will be seen that the number of high speed rolls is gradually dccreased from left to right, while the number of low speed rolls is correspondingly increased so that at the extreme opposite end of the speed changing section B there is provided a single high speed roll 23?) which is preceded by the three low speed rolls 227).

With such an arrangement of high and low speed rolls as described above, it will be readily apparent that, as the sheet 13 passes 'onto and over the transfer section B,-the resistance offered to the movement thereof by the low speed rolls will gradually increase and that, as this resistance increases to a point sufficient to overcome the driving action of the high speed rolls, the speed of forward movement of the sheet will be gradually reduced. Explaining more fully, when the glass sheet 13 issuing from the rolling machine is first-received upon the high speed rolls 22 of roller section A, the said sheet will be carried forwardly at a speed equal to its speed of formation and delivered at such speed onto the first rolls of the transfer section B. As the sheet passes onto transfer section B, the low speed rolls at the forward end thereof will offer no appreciable resistance to the passage of the glass thereover, as a result of which the said sheet will continue to travel over a portion of the transfer section athigh speed, being shoved over the low speed rolls. When, however, upon continued forward movement of the sheet, a greater portion of the sheet is brought to rest upon the low speed rolls of section B than upon the high speed rolls, then the resistance offered by these low speed rolls becomes appreciable and, as a consequence, there is some slippage between the sheet and the high speed rolls, which slippage gradually increases as the number of high speed rolls driving the sheet diminishes. In this manner, the speed of forward travel of the sheet will gradually be reduced to the speed of rotation of the rolls 23 and will be delivered at such reduced speed onto the rolls of section C. The transfer mechanism here describcd may, if desired, be positioned either entirely exteriorly of the annealing leer or in the forward or receiving end thereof so that the sheet may be delivered into the leer at rolling speed, with the reduction in the speed of travel thereof taking place after it is either partially or entirely received within said leer.

From the above, it will be readily apparent that the desired reduction in the forward speed of travel ofthe sheet 13 can be effected in an easy and convenient manner and that the use of complicated speed changing mechanism is entirely eliminated. The high speed rolls 22 are always driven at a constant high speed, and the low speed rolls 23 always driven at a constant slow speed so that the change in the forward speed of travel of the sheet is effected simply by varying the ratio of resistance of the high and low speed'rolls to, the movement of the. sheet; and without. varying the. peripheral speed. of: the rolls themselves. Inother words, theaedaction in the speed of travel-,.o.f. the. sheet-1s] accomplished by supporting; the sheet during its movement upon. a. gracllnally' increasing number of-slon speed; r -1s which;erentual yorer come the. drivingactiongoithe high 1 speed.

rolls.-

In; E g -'.3,-lt a nd 5. are hown hree difl'erent forms -Ofw apparatus ,on'ihodyings the. same 96d principle of; thc present. intention. do iereinabore and; whereby the object may he a.chievecl;.- Referringilirst to.- Iig. 3, the: runway, or roller conveyor comprises the. high and: low. speed rolls. 3=lgand respe tivel dividedintothe three. groups 1)., Hand E,- co'nstitutingthe receiving section, transiier section and; slow. speed; section;respective y- The high, speed sectionil) is composed entire:-

lyof: high 'sjpeedrolls 34', and; the. slow; speed section. F entirely: of lowspeed rollsp3fi. Hoiveren. the transfer section; split diagonally as at1-36, and; is composedoii-both highand ora sp edzroll's iii-211K113 The-hi and-low speed rollsiof section B im ositioned in. alignment with; one another atopposit-e sides of thesplit 3.6, with the high speed rolls 34:. gradually: decreasing in length from receiving section B toisection. F; while the slow speed: r01ls35: gradnallydncrease in length The high-speed: rolls' :3=t-1nay. be-

Wardmovement ozfioheisheet by the slow-speed rolls 3.5:Wlll; gnadnally increase, ass-the. driving force of: the. high speed rolls 34: is gradually decreascdjas a result or which there. will; he eliectecl' a .graduah reduction in the; forward speed of-travelofi the sheet. In other words, the sheet supportingisurfiaceioii thelow speed rolls gradually increases as that oithelhigh speed"rolls-decreases. a

. F'g. the/runway 2k is; composed-of. a serles of high speednollstz'nandia series ot low speed; rolls. 46. hieh may be'diyided into threegronpsfi, and I, group. constituting the high speed sectionand bein'gcomposed. entirely of high speedurolls kfiiwhil'e' gro'up'If maybe termed the slow speed: section. being composdentireLy-ofi loivsn llroll's 461 .On

' the other hand, the. groupH is thetransfer. or

both. high speed and lo vf'speed rolls V afiarrang ed' altcrnatelyz ritlr oneanother. from one end ofthe-conveyor tofthe other i speedf changing. section.- and; is "composed: of 1 and this. case, the forward speed oft-navel of the sheet is gradually reduced by varying "the ratioof the supportingsnrface ofthe rolls a5 and 4.6. For instance, the :high: speed rolls 4:5 arecutzrway'attheircentrs as indicated at 37,1Withthe said cut away portions gradually increasing in length transversely of the conveayorifiromsection G to. section I, thereby resulting-in a gradual reduction in the-sup.- port-ing face ofthe said'rolls.

The low'spe'ed rolls. 46. arranged alternately withthe high speed rolls are cut away at their om'iosito end-s as-indicated at'38 and these cut away portions gradually. decrease in length trans versely of the. conveyor from section G to section. Iso that the supporting surface of these 'rollsis gradually-increased. As in the two forms ofthe invention described-above, theresistance offered to the forwardtravel of the sheet-bythe low speed rolls will gradin 1 allyincrease as thesaid sheet ispa-ssed over the transfer section H, and't his increasing resistance offered by thelow speed rollsiwill effect a gradual. reduction in the forward speed of; travel of the. sheet. QThe'high and low speed rolls 45mm 46 may be driven from motors 47 and d8 respectively in the-same manncr'asthe roll s34-and3-5-inFig. 3;

.The. form of the invention illustrated in V Fig; 5 is. somewhat different fromthosede- 5| scribed hereinabovein that the runway21is divided intojbut two. sections, the' receiving section Jr composed-entirely of high speed rolls 4.9, and the. slow speed section K composed entirely of lowspe ed rolls "50, driven respectivelyfrom the motorsfil and. 52; The

rolls. 49 aredriven at a constantihigh speed equal to. the speed: of formation of the sheet, While the rolls 50 are driven atla relatively. slower speed substantially equal to the speed at whichthessheetis. adapted-to travel in annealing. In this case, the sheet is passed directly. fromqthe high speed rolls- 49' of section J onto thelow speed r01ls50 Iof section K',

that the. forward. speed of travel of the sheet Will; he: gradually reduced as the. resistdriring action. of the rolls49.

. It is to be. understoodthat theforni otthe invention herewith shown and described; is Q anceofiieredby the rolls 50 overcomes the to.bc ta;kn as. the preferred embodiment. of v the, same, and. that arious changes inthe shape, size. and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without'departinn from the spirit ot't-lie invent-ionorthe scope of the suhjoined roller conveyor composed of a serieso'f ho'riQ 1 Zontally arr-an Q'Gfl' rotatable high speed: and

low speed rolls'irhich are adapted to carry the sheet fol-Ward]y.ithe sheet supporting sure iiace (if-the lnw'sneed rolls gradru lly increaswhile the supporting surface of thehigh speed rolls decreases whereby the resistance offered by the low speed rolls to the forward travel of the sheet will gradually increase so as to effect a gradual reduction in the speed of movement thereof. i

2. In apparatus for supporting'and-conveying sheet glass in a predetermined path, a roller conveyor including a high speed section composed of a series ofhorizontally arranged rotatable rolls drivenat a constant relatively high speed, a slow speed section composed of a series of horizontally arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constant relatively slow speed, and a transfer section interposed between said high speed and slou speed sections and composed of a pluralitylof horizontally arranged rotatable high speed and low speed rolls, the sheet supporting'surface of the low speed rolls gradually increasing from the high speed section to the slow speed section while the supporting surface of the high speed rolls decreases whereby the resistance offered by the low speed rolls to the forward travel of the sheet will gradually in crease so as to effect a gradual reductionin the speed of movement thereof.

3. In apparatus forisupporting and conveying sheet glass ina predetermined path, a roller conveyor composed of a series of horizontally arranged rotatable high speed rolls and low speed rolls which are adapted to carry the sheet forwardly, said high speed and low speed rolls being interspersed with one another, with the said low speed rolls increasing in number from one end of the'conveyor to the opposite end thereof while the number of the high speed rolls decreases whereby the resistance offered by the low speed rolls a; the forward travel of the sheet will gradually increase so as toefi'ect a gradual'reduction in the speed ofmovement thereof.

,4. In apparatus forsupporting and conveying sheet glass in a predetermined path, a roller conveyor including a high speed section composed of a seriesof'horizontally arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constant relatively high speed. a slow speed section composed of a series of horizontally arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constant relatively slow speed, and atransfer section interposed between said high speed and slow; speed sections and composed of a pluralityvof 'hor izontally arranged rotatable high speed and low speed rolls interspersed with one another,

with the said low speed rolls increasingin number from the high speed section to the slow speed section while the number of high speed rolls decreases whereby-the resistance offered by the low speed rolls tothe forward trave of the sheet will 'radually increase so as to effect a gradual reduction in the speed of movement thereof. r

5. In apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet glass in predetermined path,

forward travel thereof. Y

a roller conveyor composed of a series of herizontally arranged rotatable-high speed and low speed rolls which are adapted to carry the sheet forwardly, the said high and low speed rolls being arranged end to end in substanti'ala-lignment with one another, the high speed rolls decreasing in length and the low speed rolls correspondingly increasing in length from the forward end of the conveyor to the opposite end thereof whereby the resistanceoifered by the low speed rolls to the forward travel of the sheet will gradually increase sons to eifecta gradual reduction in the'speed of forward movement thereof.

6.In apparatus for supporting and conveying sheet glass in a predetermined path, a roller conveyor including a'highspeed section composed of a series ofhorizontally arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constant relatively high speed, a slow speed section composed of a series of horizontally'arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constantrelatively slow speed, and a transfer section interposed high speed rolls decreasing in length and the low speed rolls correspondingly increasing in length from the high speed section to the slow speed section whereby the resistance =offered by the low speed rolls to the forward travel of the sheet will gradually increase so as to effect a gradual reduction in the speed of 7 .';In apparatus for supporting-and conveying sheet glass in a predetermined path, a roller conveyor composed-of'a series of horizontally arranged rotatable high speed and low speed rolls which are adapted to carry the sheet forwardly, the high and low speed rolls being arranged alternately with one another, with thesheet supporting surface of the low speed rolls gradually increasing and the] sheet supporting surface of the high speed rolls correspondingly decreasingfrom the forward end of the conveyor to the oppositeencl'thereof whereby-the resistance offered by the-low speed rolls to the forward travel of the sheet will gradually increaseso as to effect a'gradual reduction in the speed of forward movement thereof. i Y

8. In apparatus for supporting and con- .veyingsheet glass in a predetermined path, a roller. conveyor including a high speed section composed of a series'of horizontally arranged rotatable'rolls drivenat a constant relativelyhig'h'speed, a slow speed section composed of a series of horizontally arranged rotatable rolls driven at a constant relativelysl'ow speed, and a transfer section inter- .posed'bet'ween the'lhigh speed-and slow speed sections, said transfer section being composed of a plurality of horizontally arranged r0- tatable high speed rolls and low speed rolls which are adapted to carry the sheet forward- 1y, said high and low speed rolls being ar- Q ranged alternately with one another, with the sheet supporting surface of the lOW speed rolls gradually increasing and the sheet supporting surface of the high speed rolls cor- I respondingly decreasing from the'high speed section to the slow speed section whereby the- Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 29th day of June, 1931.

' CARROLL CONE.

CERTiFIGATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,848,162. Granted March 8, 1932, to CARROLL CONE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 34, before the word "annealing" insert the word short; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of May, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

